Blinn was recertified with the 2015 Community Engagement Classification after initially earning the recognition in 2010. An independent policy and research center, the Carnegie Foundation encourages colleges and universities to become more deeply engaged, to improve teaching and learning and to generate socially responsive knowledge to benefit communities. It selected colleges based on institutional practices of community engagement demonstrating alignment of mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices.

Blinn is one of 12 Texas colleges and universities to have earned the Community Engagement Classification, including just one other community college. In all, 361 colleges and universities across the nation have earned the classification.

“Blinn students not only have a real desire to complete their academic education, but to learn how to contribute in their communities,” said Dr. Greg Phillips, dean of Instructional Administration. “Our students and faculty have responded to the call to service with a significant commitment to their communities.”

Blinn’s commitment to community and civic service is spearheaded by the Service Learning Program, which combines community service with classroom instruction or student club activities and focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility to engage students. Service Learning involves students in activities that address local needs while developing their academic or professional skills and commitment to their community. More than 1,800 Blinn students participate in the Service Learning Program each semester and approximately 130 faculty teach Service Learning courses.

Blinn students have documented more than 440,000 hours of Service Learning and community service hours, valued at almost $8.5 million by the Points of Light Foundation. Each year, Blinn hosts the Blinn Blitz, a day of dedicated service in which Blinn students participate in a variety of community service projects. Other Service Learning projects include Give Kids a Smile, in which Blinn dental hygiene students, local dentists and community volunteers offer free dental exams, X-rays, cleanings, sealants and oral health education to children from low-income families; and converting used cooking oil into eco-friendly biodiesel, then donating that biodiesel to Brenham ISD to utilize in their fleet of school buses.

In addition to the Carnegie Classification, Blinn has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest accolade an educational institution can receive from the federal government for its commitment to service and civic engagement, five of the last seven years.

Blinn enrolled a school-record 19,317 students last Fall and has experienced 37.5 percent growth since 2006. Students taking 30 credit hours at Blinn in 2014-15 will save approximately $4,000 in tuition compared to the average Texas public university (48.8 percent), and Blinn offers more than 220 endowed scholarships.

The College’s academic transfer rate regularly ranks among the highest in the state and nation and is approximately 20 percent higher than the state average. The Blinn TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at A&M) Program allows selected applicants to Texas A&M University’s freshman class a unique co-enrollment opportunity with the opportunity to earn full Texas A&M admission. The first of its kind between a major university and a community college, the initiative received the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Recognition of Excellence in 2013 and its Star Award in 2014.

Registration is currently open for Blinn’s Spring semester through Jan. 19, with classes beginning Jan. 20. For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.

About Blinn College
Founded in 1883, Blinn is a comprehensive community college committed to educational excellence and to individual and community enhancement. With an enrollment of 19,317 students, Blinn ranks among the nation’s leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for its affordable educational excellence.

As part of its commitment to student success, Blinn is implementing a Quality Enhancement Plan titled “Destination Success: First-Year Focus,” which utilizes learning communities to support first-year college students.

For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.